Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan held a key meeting with General Yoshida Yoshihide, Chief of Staff of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), to strengthen India-Japan defence ties and enhance strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The interaction took place on Thursday and was aimed at reinforcing bilateral military engagement between the two countries.
In a post shared on X, the Integrated Defence Staff stated: “General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff interacts with Gen. YOSHIDA Yoshihide, Chief of Staff, JSDF to reinforce defence ties between India and Japan. General Chauhan conveyed best wishes to General Yoshida on his superannuation and appreciated his contributions in strengthening Defence Cooperation between both nations.”
CDS Chauhan also extended congratulations to General Hiroaki Uchikura, who is set to take over as the next Chief of Staff of JSDF, and expressed confidence in the continued growth of military cooperation.
The meeting highlighted India’s strategic intent to deepen its partnership with Japan amid evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
Meanwhile, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi is on an official visit to Japan. During his visit, he paid homage at the Memorial Cenotaph, received a ceremonial Guard of Honour, and met Admiral Saito Akira, Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Their discussions focused on boosting operational cooperation and synergy between the two navies. Key areas of collaboration include joint exercises, interoperability, sharing of best practices, capacity building, and training exchanges.
According to the Ministry of Defence, Admiral Tripathi will also visit JMSDF units and engage with the Commander-in-Chief of the Self-Defence Fleet at the Funakoshi JMSDF Base.
These high-level engagements underscore the growing momentum in India-Japan defence relations under the framework of their ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’, with maritime security remaining a central focus.